I am so glad and proud that tribute was paid to the talented Indian actor Om Puri at yesterday's Oscars. Reminded me of Tom Hank's CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, a mixture of American politics and geopolitics, where Om Puri played the role of the Pakistani Dictator Zia Ul Haq.
Charlie Wilson, played by Tom Hanks was a Texas Cingressman who was instrumental in the defeat of the then USSR in Afghanistan which led to the end of Cold War. His efforts in funding and arming the Mujahideens dragged the erstwhile Superpower into a quagmire, eventually ending up in its defeat and ending the Cold War.
In a Scene Tom Hanks arrives in Pakistan and received by its President General Zia Ul Haq, played by our Om Puri. Zia introduces himself, flanked by his trusted aids, General Mehmood and Bigadier Rashid. He welcomes Tom Hanks - "You must be thristy after a long flight, what can we get for you". "Yes, I need a glass of any Rye, Bourbon Whiskey topped over Ice".
Zia and his Generals are flustered as Tom Hanks looks with bewilderment.
"Sorry, Mr. Congressman. Alcohol is not served in Presidential Palace", goes on Zia, as his obsequious Army men let their Supreme leader speak. "Ok, I guess I can get it at US Embassy, let's get on with our agenda", said Tom Hanks. (The American Embassy in Islamabad is said to be a marvel, an institution by itself, with the US Ambassador ascribed as the Viceroy of Pakistan).
When Zia visits America, he is eulogized as the man who didn't kill Bhutto, rather the Pakistani judiciary found the ex-PM guilty (It's akin to saying, I didn't fart, rather my ass farted). Also to keep Zia in good humor and unoffended, no alcohol was served at his felicitation.
As Tom Hanks offers $10 million as help, Zia (Om Puri) and his both acolytes in chorous pooh pooh the amount as peanuts to arm the Mujahideens against the well armed Red Army. (I heard the Pakistanis are good at bargaining, the movie protrays it quite well). Tom Hanks goes on - "We supplied you F-16s". "But you didn't give us the Radars and spare parts, but gave it those the Israelis" - Zia protested.
Oh well, the Congressman chuckles, "Israel is a different story, General". (Flashback, in another scene Tom Hanks confides to Julia Roberts that Jews have elected him from the Texan 2nd Congressional District. "How many Jews are there in your district, Charlie" ? " Seven families, but the Jewish lobby bankrolls my Campaign", responds the Congressman.
After meeting Zia, Tom Hanks proceeds to Israel. "This is the front of the Cold War", says Hanks to an Israeli arms dealer, a secret Mossad operative. They go to Cairo to get weapons appearing to be Soviet made, to be handled to the Mujahideens. (America wasn't interested in turning the cold war to hot. Weapons used by Mujahideens looking emulating the Soviets would help US take its hands off if needed).
Tom Hanks manages to get more money approved by the Congress. The Stinger missiles (Osama Bin laden was one of those trained by CIA to use them) cost $50,000, brought down Soviet planes costing millions, bringing the erstwhile Superpower to its kness. With a long, persistent drought and heavy loss the Superpower was imploding, with their economy taking a hit.
A frustrated USSR which was already on the backfoot, approached Zia to send a rapprochement message to America when he visited Moscow to attend Breznev's funeral. But the shrewd Zia who who knew what way the wind was blowing and not to ebb the flow of the American lagress, kept quite.
No sooner Gorbachev, the Child of Change came with his "Glasnost and Perestroika", than he ordered the withdrawal of a badly bleeding Red Army. But all wasn't forgotten. Though the Cold War came to an end, it's rumored that the Russians who never forgot or forgive, assassinated Zia who died in a mysterious air crash in August, 1988. Nevertheless, Om Puri perfectly played the role of the Pakistani military dictator in that movie, earning his tribute at the Oscars.
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